Should Joaquin Phoenix Play Lex Luthor?

Joaquin Phoenix, renowned for acting like a crazy person both on screen and in real life (and sometimes both!) may get to play the most lucrative kind of crazy person of all: a supervillain. Citing unnamed sources, Variety reports that the people behind the upcoming Batman vs. Superman want Phoenix to step in as Lex Luthor, the bald and endlessly scheming antagonist played by Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey in previous Superman films.

Will they actually offer Phoenix the role? Hard to say. Would Phoenix even take it if they did? Nobody knows, though do you really expect the guy who seems actively miserable any time he has to leave his house to take on a movie that requires a visit to Comic-Con? Still, this is the Internet, where any combination of “name-brand actor” with “recognizable comic book character” can cause a hubbub. And we are not immune! So here’s what we think Joaquin Phoenix will bring to the role of Lex Luthor, based on his past performances.

Complete disregard for human emotion, as seen in Gladiator. Commodus knows his thumb has the power to sentence a man to his death, and he’s gonna use it! The fact that Russell Crowe played Superman’s alien father, Jor-El, in Man of Steel allows us to pretend this is the Gladiator sequel we never wanted.

Ability to go completely berserk with no notice whatsoever, as seen in The Master. Paul Thomas Anderson’s most recent film is about a lot of things, but your main takeaway may be a total fear of Phoenix, based on meltdowns like this one. Michael Shannon, who played General Zod in Man of Steel, has a similar specialty, so there’s no promise this will actually come through in the hands of Zack Snyder. But at least Phoenix is bringing the raw goods.

Stage presence, as seen in Walk the Line. Because you know, as a captain of industry, Lex Luthor is gonna have to give some kind of big speech about the bright future that’s then revealed to be a total sham. Superman can see straight through it, but Phoenix will sell it until then!

Ability to keep a straight face, as seen in I’m Still Here. How do you carry on a conversation with a man in skintight red pants and Ben Affleck in a bat helmet? Probably the same way you start a fake rap career and answer questions about it for months without letting go of the ruse.

Ability to survive embarrassment, as seen in Ladder 49. Because you know there are going to be some ridiculous moments in a movie that’s a sequel to something that featured the phrase “world engine.” And despite his great choices of late, Joaquin Phoenix has made some serious dogs over the years. Even if Batman vs. Superman turns out to be a masterpiece, the confidence to walk away from past mistakes is gonna come in handy again somehow.